Don’t Overlook Marketing When it Comes to Your App (promotionworld.com)

So you've got the idea for the next Candy Crush - or Angry Birds or whatever. Great!

But whether you're developing the app yourself or working with a developer, you have to come to terms with one inescapable truth: Apps are like podcasts. Everybody has one and chances are, there is someone with linear thinking who came up with a similar idea.

The sad fact is that a lot of great apps get buried in the pack and die a slow, lonely death because of lax marketing.

Obviously, you're going to promote on social media. But you can't stop there.

Internal Marketing Pt. 1: Keywords are Key

No matter how catchy a name you choose for your app, if the title doesn't contain a relevant keyword, you'll have an incredibly difficult time getting out of the starting gate. Internally marketing your app by enabling people to search for it without knowing that it exists is just as important as any ad campaign.

Internal Marketing Pt. 2: Let Your Other Apps do the Talking

One of the best ways to create buzz about your new app is by pitching it through your existing apps. Use internal banners, push notifications and links to offer your existing users the chance to try your new app (for free if you're charging). Just by having them click through, you'll increase your downloads and usage.

Video Press Kit

What they used to call a press kit is actually now just a web site - and everybody has one of those. Video is king. It's more shareable, more likely to be viewed and most importantly, it can tell your app's story, explain its unique functionality and display its practical, real-world necessity better than any press release or mission statement ever could.

Create a (short!) video and let that be the crux of your social-media campaign. Hint: Unless you really know what you're doing, hire a professional to do it for you. If you can't afford a quality professional video, consider soliciting video and graphic design students or recent grads who may be willing to swap work for a portfolio piece. But remember, no video is better than bad video.

Resist the Urge to Charge a Fee

As discussed in the article “5 things to know about creating iPhone Apps,” free apps can - and do - make money.

Yes, apps that people have to pay for result in more direct profit for that individual purchase, but infinitely more people download free apps that are loaded with paid ads than they do apps they have to buy. The smart app developers know that nothing looks better in marketing materials than the phrase "download our free app".

Even the best app will go nowhere fast if it isn't bolstered by a foundation of solid marketing.

Creating a buzz is paramount - in the beginning especially.

Save money by marketing internally when you launch and then put what you saved into a video that will build on your initial success